The Métis resistance
A people born of the fur trade, demanding to be asked
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The Métis are a distinct people arising from marriages between French and Scottish fur traders and Indigenous women, with their own language, Michif, and their own culture. Riel is among the most contested figures in Canadian history, understood in turn as traitor, madman and founder; Manitoba today officially regards him as the province's founder. His execution in 1885 opened a lasting breach between French- and English-speaking Canada. The Métis were recognised as a distinct Indigenous people in Canada's constitution in 1982, nearly a century later.
For children
The Métis are descendants of French and Scottish fur traders and Indigenous women, with their own language and culture. When Canada bought their land without asking them, they resisted under Louis Riel. He secured Manitoba's creation as a province — and was later hanged for treason.
Sources
- Siggins, Riel: A Life of Revolution (1994)
- Bibliothèque et Archives Canada: Louis Riel og Red River
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